A New Zealand artist who moved to Officer a year ago has taken out the Local Artist prize at the Art Show Pakenham.
Lindsay Muirhead moved to Officer from New Zealand in May 2021 and since then, his artwork has generated a great deal of interest in the community.
Linday’s winning work ’Lake Grave’ captured the sublimity and grandeur of nature, Art Show Pakenham judge Jo Reitze said.
“This is a foreign landscape of dramatic mountains and still water,“ she said.
“The density of the foliage has been captured with a meticulous touch. Light permeates the composition.
“He also shows a great understanding of atmospheric perspective to create an illusion of space.“
Lake Grave is found in the South West of New Zealand’s South Island, the most rugged part of New Zealand.
It is an isolated location accessed by a three to four day walk or helicopter ride.
Lindsay chartered a helicopter to take photos which he then painted from.
Lindsay works from the top of the painting to the bottom working in oils.
He layers his work wet over dry. He likes to work with oils as he finds them more malleable.
It is important to have a studio space so that the artworks can be left undisturbed to dry before the next layer is added, he said.
The artwork can be worked on over several days.
Although his works look incredibly detailed, he said only three per cent to four per cent is actual detail- the rest is painted illusion.
“Art is drawing with a brush,“ Lindsay said.
Linsday has been painting for 40 years and has exhibited in the major galleries in New Zealand.
He first started to paint after buying a watercolour that he admired.
Always good with his hands, he joined the local art society, attended workshops and was lucky enough to be mentored by the highly respected New Zealand artist Randal Froude.
As Lindsay’s hobby, he painted at night after he finished work on the farm and then later when he changed his career to retail management again painted at night.
Lindsay has always loved the wilderness, hunting and fishing.
A keen photographer as well, he won the 2021 Photojournalism Award with the photo ‘Cattle on Cattle Drive’.
He is also very keen on Shohin Bonsai recently exhibiting at the Yarra Valley Bonsai Show.
Lindsay is excited to next tackle the Australian bush landscape and promises to enter some Aussie landscapes at Art Show Pakenham in 2023.
You can see Lindsay’s work at Art Show Pakenham at the Cardinia Cultural Centre until Sunday 12 June, open everyday from 10am until 4pm.
